Topological Superconductivity From Forward Phonon Scatterings

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel mechanism for topological superconductivity driven by forward phonon scatterings in electron-phonon interactions, independent of Rashba coupling, and proposes an experimental heterostructure to explore this phenomenon.

Contribution

It reveals a new Rashba-free pathway to topological superconductivity via forward phonon scatterings and suggests a feasible heterostructure for experimental investigation.

Findings

Forward phonon scatterings favor spin-triplet pairing.

Chiral topological superconductivity can occur without Rashba coupling.

Proposed heterostructure enables systematic study of these effects.

Abstract

We propose a new Rashba-free mechanism to realize topological superconductivity with electron-phonon interaction. In the presence of a magnetic field, electron-phonon interaction with small momentum transfer is found to favor spin-triplet Cooper pairing. This process facilitates the formation of chiral topological superconductivity even when Rashba spin-orbital coupling is absent. As a proof of concept, we propose an experimentally feasible heterostructure to systematically study the entangled relationship among forward-phonon scatterings, Rashba spin-orbital couplings, pairing symmetries, and superconducting topology. Our theory sheds light on the important role of electron-phonon coupled materials in the pursuit of non-Abelian Majorana quasiparticles.